I Keep Getting Logged Off

[drval01]

Is anyone else experiencing this phenomenon?

Even though I haven't changed any "cookie" setting on my computer, every time I come back to BT I have to re-log-in. I always click the "remember me" box and I am not having this problem when I log into BT4Dancers.

[Helene]

Can you tell us when this started to happen?

Has anyone else experienced this?

[Amy'sMom]

I've had it happen occasionally on both this board and the other board (BT4D). It hasn't happened in a while, though.

[Helene]

Even though I haven't changed any "cookie" setting on my computer, every time I come back to BT I have to re-log-in. I always click the "remember me" box and I am not having this problem when I log into BT4Dancers.

I forgot to ask what browser you're using.

[drval01]

I'm using Mozilla/Firefox version 1.0.3, and it began happening 5 or 6 days ago. I also use the same version of Firefox when I browse BT4Dancers.

[Helene]

Is it possible that you accidentally checked the "Never save for this site" for BT, the last time you logged in? I had that problem once on my machine at home. This should be listed in the Firefox "Preferences" page. If so, you can remove this from the blocked list, log in, and then save it for future use. I believe in Firefox the browser setting overrides the checkbox. (I'm at work, where we're not allowed to install alternate browsers, so I can't test this.)

[Amy'sMom]

O.K....this is really strange. After posting last night that this problem had not happened to me in a while, it

DID happen again tonight on both BT boards! I had visited BT4D several times today with no problem. But now, as I looked at it one last time before bed, I was logged off. I came over here to check and same thing...logged off! Nothing has been changed on my computer today, so whats up?

Edited March 30, 2006 by Amy'sMom

[Treefrog]

I also have this problem at home (where I use Safari), but not at work (Explorer). And it's on both boards. It started happening after the last software update. I can get around it by using "History" or "Go" to click on a previous log-in session. But, it's a pain. For me, it happens most with BT4D -- always, in fact -- and less with BT.

[Helene]

I will look to see if there's any documentation on this issue in the new version.

[Alexandra]

I have the same experience as Treefrog -- exactly, down to the browsers and their locations! And that it happened after the upgrade. (It's a minor pain, because, wiith Saffari, if I click Log In it fills in the boxes for me, so it's only two clicks, but it was nicer without them.)

[Helene]

The first thing that this may be caused by is conflicting cookies. (I've had this issue before.)

For Firefox on a Mac,

1. Go to Firefox/Preferences from the main menu

2. From the "Privacy" category on the left, click the Saved Passwords button.

3. Highlight and delete duplicate cookies for ballettalk.invisionzone.com and/or dancers.invisionzone.com.

For Firefox on a PC:

1. Go to Tools/Options from the main menu.

2. From the "Privacy" category on the left, click the Saved Passwords button.

3. Highlight and delete duplicate cookies for ballettalk.invisionzone.com and/or dancers.invisionzone.com.

For IE,

1. Go to Tools/Internet Options from the main menu

2. From the "General" Tab, click "Settings" under "Temporary Internet Files,"

3. Click the "View Files" button.

4. Highlight and delete the duplicate cookie(s) for @ballettalk.invisionzone.com and/or @dancers.invisionzone.com

For Safari,

1. Go to Safari/Preferences from the main menu.

2. From the Security tab, click the "Show Cookies" button.

3. Highlight duplicates of category with "Member_id" and "Pass_hash" in them for ballettalk.invisionzone.com and/or dancers.invisionzone.com.

You may also have to delete any of the session cookies. For Safari, if this doesn't work, please delete all cookies for each board, and login again. I'm having trouble replicating on Safari, which I admit I usually ignore in lieu of Firefox.

Please tell me if this works.

I haven't found anything in the documentation that woud suggest that this is a problem with the new version; however there may be a setting that got re-set, blanked out, or otherwise reverted during the upgrade process.

[Alexandra]

Helene, I've tried your suggestions, deleted all cookies, and am gettiing the same result with Firefox as well as Safari now. (Actually, it's worse. Before, I could always get into BT, but had to log in on BT4D. Now I have to log in each time I make the switch. (From my point of view, this is NOT a big problem, and certainly not one to make a priority.)

[dirac]

I noticed the same phenomenon after the switch (I use Windows Explorer), but I'm constantly cleaning out my cookies anyway and so it's no problem for me -- saves me the trouble of signing off occasionally.

[Treefrog]

I didn't have any duplicates, but I went ahead and deleted all cookies from the two boards. So far, there seems to be an improvement in that I logged in, closed the window, then reentered through the Bookmarked page (which used to require me to log in every time) and -- voila! -- I was still logged in. This was on BT4D.

Thanks.

[Treefrog]

Hmmm .... maybe I spoke too quickly. It seems I can keep one board logged in, but not both. Currently, I can toggle over to BT4D (using the link on the menu bar above) and be logged in every time, but each time I toggle back over here (using the corresponding link) I have to re-login.

I suspect there's something about which board you login to first, but haven't tested that hypothesis.

[Helene]

I think I may have an idea what's going on, but I'm going to need a little more time to get details and not blow up the board

I'm sorry this is happening.

[Alexandra]

Thanks, Helene. I would bet it's something in the cookie settings in the board's APC. It started right after the upgrade.

[Helene]

All three cookie settings are blank in ACP; I believe this is leading to login conflicts between BT and BT4D (and any other IPB logins any BTers might have. I'm trying to figure out what values should be entered to solve this.

[Alexandra]

For diagnosis purposes, another cookie problem is that (in Safari and Firefox, at least) the topic squares are dark, indicating new topic, until I click "mark all threads read" rather than marking them as read automatically. This is also since the upgrade. I don't remember WHICH cookie option to choose, but I'm fairly certain that's the problem.

[Helene]

Please try again now. You may have to delete cookies again before this will work, but I have two different passwords for the two boards, and I'm being logged in immediatedly for both of them.

[Alexandra]

Alas, no. Now I have to log in the first time I access BT (earlier, I was automatically logged in at first access; the problem was trying to access BT4D. Then the problem became every time I switched between the two sites. So it's just getting worse )

[Helene]

I can't replicate your experience.

I removed saved passwords from Firefox, and cookies from IE (in Virtual PC on my Mac) and Safari.

In each browser, I relogged in for Ballet Talk, closed the browser, opened BT again, and was logged in. In the same browser window, I brought up BT4D, logged in, and switched to BT. I was still logged into BT. I logged out of each and retried. I logged out of one, and toggled to the other site, and remained logged in.

In a new browser window, I brought up BT4D, and was logged in automatically. I toggled between BT4D and BT, and was still logged in. Logged in and out of one and then both, and remained logged in to the site I hadn't logged out of, and had to log into the site that I logged out of.

For Firefox and Safari, I changed between using a new browser window and new tab. I remained logged in toggling between the sites. I logged in and out, and each time the expected result (auto login where I remained logged in, and not logged in where I had logged out).

I tried my the same login on both sites, and a test login on BT. I got the same (expected) results.

There are two caveats:

1. When the browser is configured not to share cookies/login between browser sessions and tabs, then the expected result is to be challenged each time a new browser window/tab is opened. But toggling back and forth in the same browser/window tab should result in remaining logged in, instead of needing to log in again.

2. If the browser is configured to share cookies/login between browser sessions and tabs, if I log into BT as myself, and then open up a new browser window/tab and log in under a test account, my original session will crash, because the old browser session doesn't recognize the old login.

I've checked the IPB Community Forums and IPS Beyond sites, and all of the documentation points to the change I made, to prefix the cookies on both sites, so that they are distinguished from each other (and all other IPB logins). I know that IPB itself does this, because whenever I was challenged for a new login on BT (before I made the change), I was logged in immediately to IPB Community Forums website and IPBusters without being re-challenged.

I can ask some friends, but to log a bug, there are three standard steps for issues that aren't critical (bringing down the system, security issues, etc.), after checking to see that there isn't already a bug report or an IPB thread that describes the solution or response:

1. Determine if the issue can be replicated always, and under what exact steps and circumstances. (Ex: This only happens on Firefox or IE, it happens across all browsers, etc.)

2. If it can't be replicated always, or we can't identify the steps, there usually needs to be some critical mass who experience the same behavior. (Ex: We can't identify the exact conditions, but 1 in 10 posters across all browsers have followed the following steps [clear cookies and saved passwords], log into one site. Log into the other site. Toggle between sites or open new browser session, be challenged to log in again.)

3. Describe the issue with as much detail as usual to IPB.

I'm going to need help from the people who are experiencing this issue, to clear all of their "invisionzone" cookies and saved passwords (from browser), to re-log into both sites, and to note here what they then experience.

[Treefrog]

Things seem better for me so far! I am able to toggle back and forth at will, and stay logged in on both boards. Thanks!

[Alexandra]

Same thing with me, both browsers. I can live with it. (I've changed nothing on this end, and the only change on BT's end was the upgrade -- I doubt the move had anything to do with it.)

[drval01]

I cleared cookies and passwords like you suggested several days ago with no luck. Still, something must've changed because the problem is all cleared up now!

Edited April 3, 2006 by drval01